Today Apple announced iBooks 2 for iPad featuring iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that’s dynamicn and interactive. iBooks textbooks offer iPad users beautiful fullscreen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos and videos. Included is a new iBooks 2 App for iPad, iPhone and iPod to view and interact with the new textbooks and also an iBooks 2 authoring tool for Mac. I think this is the future of textbooks for students.So what do you think about the new iBooks? You can watch the video at Apple iBooks.

I re-purposed my old iPhone 3G as an iPod Touch for my daughter. However, sometimes when we out of wireless coverage she cannot access YouTube to view her kids music videos. Well there is a solution for this, you can download a YouTube video downloader to convert the streamed YouTube video file to an mp4 file which can then be added to iTunes and synced to your iPhone. It's a bit of work converting each YouTube video file but I can now control what she watches instead of her accessing YouTube related videos. There are a number of YouTube downloader applications, some that are plugins for you browser. The application I use is called the Fastest Video Downloader, it's available for Mac and PC and it's also a certified CNet download file. Let me know which application you use to download YouTube videos?

I love my new iPhone 4GS and my iPad 2. I adore my iMac 27" with LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT display. But when it comes down to my favourite Apple product, it's my 13-inch MacBook Air. It's fast, light weight and the resolution is amazing. It's only 0.11-0.68 inches thick and has a screen resolution 1440x900 which is higher than most 15-inch notebooks. I use it as a business laptop during the day and it runs all the IT tools and applications I need. For personal use it syncs my mail, calendar, contacts and bookmarks seemlessly over iCloud with my iPhone, iPad and iMac. So what is your favourite Apple product?

We had a huge wind storm today and the power went out for almost two hours. It’s amazing how dependent we are on electricity. Without any power I had no access to a land line, Internet, TV and any data on my Time Capsules. Luckily, I keep my iPhone 4GS fully charged and by using the Personal Hot Spot feature located in settings I was able to get Internet access on my MacBook Air using my iPhone’s data plan.

To enable your iPhone as a 3G modem you go to Settings > Personal Hot Spot and turn on the Personal Hotspot option. You will also see a Wi-Fi password below the Personal Hotspot option. On your Mac you will then see  the name of your iPhone as a network under Wi-Fi. Select your iPhone network and enter the password from your Personal Hotspot. Once connected you now have Internet access on your Mac. It’s a pretty cool feature and you can use it anytime while you are on the go. See Apple Support iOS: Understanding Personal Hotspot.

Yesterday, Apple announced the public beta of FaceTime for Mac. It's an entirely new application that allows Mac users to video call iPhone 4 and iPod touch users as well as other Mac users. It features an intuitive interface and automatically uses your Address Book contacts. There is no need to create a special video call list. FaceTime works with the built-in camera and microphone on MacBooks, iMac and the newApple LED Cinema Displays. You can now download the public beta for free at the Apple FaceTime for Mac page and it will be standard with the the new release of Mac OS X Lion. Question is what has happened to iChat as there are some similarities? Also now that the iPhone 4 has two cameras, when will the Skype app be updated to allow video calls between Macs and iPhones?

Apple updated it's already amazing iMac line at the end of July with the latest Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors and powerful new graphics. The new iMac line is the fastest ever with dual-core processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz, quad-core speeds up to 2.93 GHz and discrete graphics including the powerful ATI Radeon HD 5750. The new processors set a new benchmark for iMac performance. The processors feature an integrated memory controller to access the system memory directly, allowing the new iMac to take full advantage of its faster 1333 MHz memory. The new discrete ATI Radeon HD processors delivers incredibly smooth, crisp graphics for the most demanding 3D games, creative software and technical applications. So should you be upgrading? Sure why not especially if you do not currently have a 27" display, trust me it's amazing. Here is the official Apple press release.

Last week Apple unveiled a new 27-inch LED Cinema Display with stunning 2560 x 1440 resolution. The new display provides 60 percent more screen real estate than the 24-inch LED Cinema Display.  It also features a built-in iSight® video camera, microphone and speakers. The new Cinema Display has three USB 2.0 ports and a universal MagSafe® connector. The new LED Cinema Display is perfect for connecting the new Mac Mini or a MacBook so you can have dual monitors. You can also connect it to an iMac for a dual monitor and double your screens real estate. It is available for $999 US. Here is the official release from Apple.

If you're looking for an entry level laptop, Apple just released an updated MacBook. At $999, the new MacBook is extremely competitive and shines because it runs Mac OS X which is at least two steps ahead of Windows Vista and Windows 7.  The new MacBook features the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor which has a performance boost of up to 80 percent over the previous generation. It also features a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache. The built-in lithium-polymer battery now lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge which makes it perfect for long flights, all-day workshops, and marathon study sessions. Existing MacBook features include a LED-backlit display, polycarbonate unibody enclosure, 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM, a 250GB 5400 RPM hard drive, 1280x800 pixel widescreen display and an 8x double-layer SuperDrive.

Apple today released it's latest line of MacBook Pros with faster processors, next-generation graphics and up to 10 Hours of Battery Life. New Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros feature the new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors which boost performance up to 50 percent over the previous generation. It's a great time to buy a MacBook Pro which you can be enhanced with the pending 27-inch LED Cinema Display due out any time. You can now have the equivalent of a new iMac but with the portability of a MacBook Pro. So which do you prefer the MacBook Pro / LED Cinema Display combo or just an iMac. Here is the official release from Apple.

CUPERTINO, California—April 13, 2010—Apple® today updated the MacBook® Pro line with faster processors, powerful next-generation NVIDIA graphics and even longer battery life. The popular 13-inch MacBook Pro features the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor for up to 80 percent faster graphics and a groundbreaking 10-hour built-in battery.* The new 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models feature Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and Apple’s new automatic graphics switching technology that toggles seamlessly between powerful NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and energy efficient Intel HD Graphics processors.

“The new MacBook Pro is as advanced on the inside as it is stunning on the outside,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With faster processors, amazing graphics and up to three more hours of battery life, the new MacBook Pro delivers both performance and efficiency.”

All 13-inch MacBook Pro models now include faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 4GB RAM, a 10-hour built-in battery and the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor. With 48 processing cores, the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M is the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market, ideal for graphics intensive applications or high performance games. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two configurations: one with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 250GB hard drive priced at $1,199; and one with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 320GB hard drive priced at $1,499.

The new 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models are up to 50 percent faster than the previous systems.** Using Intel’s state-of-the-art 32 nanometer process, Intel Core i5 and i7 processors integrate the memory controller and Level 3 cache for faster access to system memory. Hyper-Threading technology improves data throughput by creating virtual processing cores, while Turbo Boost optimizes performance between the two processor cores, accelerating the system from 2.66 GHz to 3.06 GHz for intensive dual core tasks, and up to 3.33 GHz for single core tasks.

All 15-inch and 17-inch models include two graphics processors, the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M for peak performance and Intel HD Graphics for energy efficient operation. More than twice as fast as the GeForce 320M, the powerful new GeForce GT 330M provides incredibly smooth, crisp on-screen graphics for the most demanding 3D games, creative software and technical applications. Apple’s automatic graphics switching determines which graphics processor an application needs and switches instantly between processors to deliver peak performance and long battery life. Tightly integrated hardware and software allow the new 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro to deliver 8 to 9 hours on a single charge.

The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is available in three models: one with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and 320GB hard drive at $1,799; one with a 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and 500GB hard drive at $1,999; and one with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and 500GB hard drive at $2,199. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro features a 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and 500GB hard drive for $2,299.

The MacBook Pro glass Multi-Touch™ trackpad now supports inertial scrolling, an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites. All MacBook Pros feature bright, LED-backlit wide-angle displays with a broad color gamut. The 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a high resolution 1920 x 1200 display, and the 15-inch MacBook Pro is now available with an optional high resolution 1680 x 1050 display. Customers can also upgrade their MacBook Pro with new 128GB, 256GB and 512GB solid state drives.

As the industry’s greenest notebook lineup, every Mac® notebook achieves EPEAT Gold status and meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, setting a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.*** Each unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Apple uses advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology to create a notebook battery that delivers up to 10 hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges.**** The built-in battery design results in less waste and depleted batteries can be replaced for $129 or $179, which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.

All Macs come with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto®, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Pricing & Availability
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 17-inch MacBook Pro are now available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
iSight® video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire® 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);
SD card slot;
combined headphone/line in (analog/digital);
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
built-in, 63.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter.
The 2.66 GHz, 13-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);
SD card slot;
combined headphone/line in (analog/digital);
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
built-in, 63.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the 13-inch MacBook Pro include the ability to upgrade to 8GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 320GB 5400 rpm or a 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive, a 128GB, 256GB or 512GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 256MB of VRAM;
320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
SD card slot;
audio line in (analog/digital);
audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
built-in, 77.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.53 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.53 GHz Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 256MB of VRAM;
500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
SD card slot;
audio line in (analog/digital);
audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
built-in, 77.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.66 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,199 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.66 GHz Intel Core i7 with 4MB shared L3 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 512MB of VRAM;
500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
SD card slot;
audio line in (analog/digital);
audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
built-in, 77.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the 15-inch MacBook Pro include the ability to upgrade to 8GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a high resolution 15-inch 1680 x 1050 display in glossy and antiglare, a 500GB 5400 rpm or 500GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB, 256GB or 512GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 2.53 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,299 (US), includes:

17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display;
2.53 GHz Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 512MB of VRAM;
500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
iSight video camera;
three USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
audio line in (analog/digital);
audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Apple has released an update for Safari. The update 4.0.5 is recommended for all Safari users and includes improvements to performance, stability, and security. The update applies to the following version of your OS: Mac OS X 10.6.2,  Mac OS X 10.6.1, Mac OS X 10.5.8, Mac OS X 10.4.11, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 7. The Safari 4.0.5 update includes:

• Performance improvements for Top Sites.
• Stability improvements for 3rd-party plug-ins.
• Stability improvements for websites with online forms and Scalable Vector Graphics.
• Fixes for the issues that prevented Safari from changing settings on some Linksys routers.
• Fixes for the issues that prevented some iWork.com users from commenting on documents.

Make sure you apply this update as it has a number of security updates that you want to ensure you have applied to your Safari browser. The question is do you always apply all updates that you receive?

Last month Apple released a 27-inch iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 to deal with intermittent display flickering on the 27-inch iMac. Well it seems this firmware update did not fix all the issues. Today Apple releases a further display firmware update. According to Apple, the 27-inch iMac Display Firmware Update 1.0 updates the display firmware on 27-inch iMac computers to address issues that may cause intermittent display flickering.

Apple also mentions if your screen remains black after applying the update, contact AppleCare or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. If you continue to experience image corruption or display flickering, make sure you have also installed the previous 27-inch iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0. If you are still having display issues after successfully completing both firmware updates, contact AppleCare or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

As I mentioned before I am a big believer in waiting for second generation products. Although, it's going to be tough holding out for a 27-inch iMac and the new iPad.

iMac users who have an earlier version of the aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard from 2007-2008 and the new Magic Mouse can now sigh a breath of relief that you do not have to fill all the land fills with AA batteries. Apple has released a Firmware Update 1.1 to fix the issue of the mighty mouse draining the keyboard's batteries. The Apple forum has been filled with user complaints that their wireless keyboards have been running low on batteries. After purchasing the new magic mouse the batteries have to be replaced every other day. I can attest to this phenomena as the day I starting using the new magic mouse, my wireless keyboard ran out of batteries.

According to Appple, the firmware update released by Apple improves battery performance of the 2007 aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard when used in combination with other bluetooth devices (e.g. Magic Mouse, some bluetooth headsets) and addresses an issue with the keyboard where a key may repeat unexpectedly while typing. The update also addresses other not specifed issues. I have been running the update for a few days and have noticed the keyboard go to sleep when not in use. Let's see how long the latest set of batteries lasts for.

I have not found the need to install Windows on any of our Macs. The reason being I have found Mac applications to replace PC applications. I do think many ex-PC users find the easy way out and simply install Windows on their Macs to use a specific Windows application when there is a Mac equivalent. Sometimes not any fault of their own as Apple has promoted Boot Camp quite extensively. Also the marketing of Parallels and VMware have not helped.

To me interacting with Mac OS X instead of Windows is why I choose to use a Mac. Also Mac applications are a lot cheaper even the exact Mac equivalent application from the same software manufacture. Here are some of the Mac applications I use that do not come standard with your Mac. I have also shown the PC application I use if I use my Windows laptop.  In some cases both the Mac and PC versions are available:

• Preview (Apple) - Snagit (Techsmith) - Quick resizing and annotating of images
• Keynote (Apple) - Powerpoint (Microsoft) - Presentations
• Pages (Apple) - Word (Microsoft) - Documents and reports
• Numbers (Apple) - Excel (Microsoft) - Spreadsheets
• Bento (Filemaker) - Access (Microsoft) - Database forms and lists
• iPhoto (Apple) - Picasso (Google) - Photo organization
• Quicken (Intuit) - Personal finances
• QuickBooks (Intuit) - Office finances
• Photoshop (Adobe) - Image creation
• Zinio Reader (Zinio) - Digital magazines
• Skype (Skype) - Long distance calls over voip
• Handbrake (Open Source) - DVD ripper, don't use a PC equivalent 

I am still a purist and have not installed any version of Windows on any of my Macs. However, I'm always helping ex-PC users with Windows on their Mac. How ironic? Today Apple released Boot Camp 3.1 Update. So what’s new in this Version? The update adds support for Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate), addresses issues with the Apple trackpad, turns off the red digital audio port LED on laptop computers when it is not being used, and supports the Apple wireless keyboard and Apple Magic mouse. The update is highly recommended for all Boot Camp 3.0 users.

You can download the Boot Camp 3.1 64-bit Update from the Apple downloads site. For a complete set of downloads, manuals, faq's and troubleshooting tips visit the Boot Camp Support site. There is also a Boot Camp Installation Utility for upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 that you can download from here. Use this Boot Camp Utility before upgrading from Vista to Windows 7. This utility safely unmounts the read-only Macintosh volume on Microsoft Vista. Can't wait for the day when Boot Camp gets the boot.

I decided to go online to Dell and Apple and configure a similar quality and performing Dell 15" Laptop with a MacBook Pro 15" and compare their prices in US dollars. The reason is as I mentioned in a previous post I get Mac withdrawals during the day as I use Windows XP on an IBM Thinkpad when I am on site at clients. I only get to use my iMac and 13" MacBook Pro back at my office. I am now seriously thinking of switching to a MacBook Pro 15" for onsite usage. So here goes.

Dell Precision M4400 Laptop ($1905)

• 15.4" UltraSharp WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display
• Intel® Core 2 Duo P8800 (2.66GHz, 3M L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64-bit
• 4.0GB, DDR2-800 SDRAM, 2 DIMMS
• 500GB Hard Drive, 7200 RPM
• 8X DVD with Cyberlink Power DVD
• NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M, 512MB
• 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Wireless-n, Bluetooth
• FireWire, USB 2.0 (x4), VGA, Display Port, Audio, eSATA
• 9 cell battery, productivity life not specified
• 5.92 lbs (2.69 kg)
• Environment None (Due to camera selected)
• Software: Not specified

MacBook Pro 15-inch: 2.66GHz ($2149)

• 15" Glossy Widescreen Display 1440-by-900-pixel LED-backlit display
• Intel Core 2 Duo (2.66GHz, 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache, 1066MHz frontside bus)
• Snow Leopard, 64-bit
• 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
• 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
• 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 256MB
• 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Wireless-n, Bluetooth 2.1
• FireWire 800, USB 2.0 (x2), Mini DisplayPort, Audio
• 7-hour wireles productivity battery
• 5.5 lbs (2.49 kg)
• Environment ENERGY STAR Version 5.0, ePeat Gold
• Software: iLife (includes iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand), Backup (Time Machine)

Ok, I am shocked, the Dell Laptop is only $144 less than the MacBook Pro but has no aluminum unibody, no multi-touch trackpad, no iLife software, no advanced email/address book/contacts (unless you buy MS Office). Also MS Office on Mac is $149.95 whereas on a PC it is $349 for the professional version. In fact Dell does not even mention the battery life or the software they install on their laptops. Also Dell is currently having a special otherwise the above laptop would have cost $365 more plus the cost of shipping which is not always free.

Can't say the website experience on the Dell site was great either as I had to painstakingly go through each option as many of them were not standard, plus all the 3rd party products they were trying to sell me along the way. It took almost 20 minutes more for me to get the Dell Laptop with my options into the shopping cart. On the Apple website it took a few minutes as most items were standard. Ok am I missing something again? I would say there is no question get a MacBook Pro.